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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922955">Safe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avianscribe/pseuds/avianscribe'>avianscribe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Ends [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood and Gore, Gen, No Fluff, Poor Prompto Argentum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:02:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922955</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avianscribe/pseuds/avianscribe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompto has to be revived by phoenix down again -- and it's the last straw.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladiolus Amicitia &amp; Prompto Argentum &amp; Noctis Lucis Caelum &amp; Ignis Scientia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Ends [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No one’s paying enough attention, and that’s how it happens. They’re so focused on the sahagins they can see that they miss the one approaching from behind. </p><p>The next thing they know, Prompto makes a wet sound that cuts off too soon, and then he’s bleeding out on the sand, and they can’t get to him. </p><p>They can’t, until Gladio and Ignis take out the last two beasts, and then Noctis rushes to Prompto’s side, pulling a rumpled feather from a pocket. </p><p>Prompto is still. Far too still, and his eyelids are half-closed, and his clothes are shredded and his insides are open to the sky and it is so wrong that Noctis can barely keep from retching, but that would make everything worse. Instead, he presses the feather to Prompto’s lacerated chest.</p><p>It flares and the fire ripples across Prompto’s form, and he shudders and heaves up and gasps, and his eyes are blind and wide and he’s screaming and it’s horrible. Noctis just has to hold his shoulders and wait it out.</p><p>Because Noctis has watched how phoenix downs work. </p><p>So he sits and waits, and doesn’t watch Prompto’s skin knit closed, because that’s so gross -- and soon Prompto’s gasping breaths calm, and his chest is no longer heaving. Soon he can sit on his own and doesn't need to lean on Noctis anymore. He’s still drenched in blood, but he’s whole.</p><p>Meanwhile, Gladio has knelt on Prompto’s other side, and claps a hand on his shoulder. It’s supposed to be comradely and comforting, but Prompto flinches away from his touch and bites back a yelp, because he hasn’t yet de-escalated from that post-revival panic that sometimes happens -- that the rest of them have been trained through, but Prompto never got that training, because a month of Crownsguard training just isn’t long enough to get to <em> everything </em> so that part got skipped.</p><p>“Glad to have you back,” Gladio says all the same.</p><p>Prompto gives a shaky laugh but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he coughs -- coughs up blood, actually, and that would alarm Noctis, if Prompto hadn’t just been eviscerated. That stuff is still in his throat and needs to come out somehow, and it’s better to cough it out than swallow it, from what Noctis has heard. </p><p>Ignis kneels in front of Prompto, assessing him carefully with keen eyes. "Are you well enough to keep going?" he says.</p><p>Prompto hesitates before he nods and says “Yeah, I’m okay.” Because of course he does. </p><p>But Noctis… Noctis isn't. He's not okay. He can't do it anymore. </p><p>This isn’t the first time Prompto’s had to be brought back. And Noctis can't keep watching Prompto die, knowing that some day he won't come back because the rest of them aren’t fast enough. Or close enough. Or they are out of phoenix downs, or some other stupid, inconvenient reason, and then Prompto will be really Dead. Like, <em> dead </em> dead, not-coming-back-from-it, like everyone else in Noct’s life, and he <em> just can’t take it anymore. </em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>He talks to Gladio and Ignis about it first, because he values their advice, even when it's stupid -- like it is now. They don't like it, but they won't go against his wishes if he's really convinced. </p><p>Noctis is the one who has to break it to Prompto in the end. He’s not great with words, and he doesn’t think Prompto really understands what he’s trying to say, because there’s not understanding in Prompto's face, there’s only hurt. But he smiles anyway, crooked and broken, and he says, “Yeah, I… I get it. Sure.” Then he doesn’t say anything more. </p><p>He spends a lot of time in the caravan’s bathroom that evening -- more than usual. And Noctis isn’t blind to the looks Ignis and Gladio give him all evening; part disapproval and part something he can’t quite identify. They don’t agree with him; they think Prompto’s an important part of the team, probably because he <em> is, </em> but… Noctis can’t watch him die anymore, and this… this is better.</p><p>It has to be.</p><p>They drop Prompto off at Cape Caem with Iris and Talcott, and Noctis is glad to know he’s going to be safe there instead of in danger wherever they’re going, which he thinks might be the Vesperpool, before they head to Altissia. </p><p>The whole crew walks them back down to the car, with Prompto trailing behind. He’s got his camera out but Noctis doesn't think he’s taking any photos. </p><p>Noctis is the last one to give Prompto his goodbyes. Prompto doesn't meet his eyes; he just stares at his feet and offers a quiet "Be safe." And Noctis can't really take it so he turns his back so Prompto can't see how upset he is. </p><p>It would just take one word, and Prompto would be grabbing his bags from the house on the cliff and they'd be off together again. But Noctis doesn't say anything. He just walks to the car and takes his usual seat behind Ignis. The passenger seat stays empty.  </p><p>The Regalia pulls away, and Noctis doesn't look back.</p><p>He doesn't look back, because he doesn't want to imagine all the future scrapes Prompto might get them out of with his sharpshooting. That Prompto might be the one to save Noctis next time. That Prompto might use some flimsy piece of Imperial machinery to get him close enough to face Leviathan's wrath in Altissia. That Prompto might discover a secret that will help unlock the Emperor's throne room in Zegnautus Keep.</p><p>That he <em> needs </em> him.</p><p>Noctis <em> doesn’t </em> imagine all that, because the important thing is that he's made sure that Prompto is <em> safe. </em> Prompto is safe, and in this moment, that's all that matters.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is part of my Bad Ends series -- not necessarily because the end is really <i>bad,</i> per se, but because of what it might lead to eventually. Noctis would be sunk without Prompto; I think that's pretty well established.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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